Air cooling and circulating system



April 2, 1957 F. R. SALAZAR AIR COOLING AND CIRCULATING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4th Floor 3rd. F/oor' 2nd Floor 1st F/oar- INVENTOR. Fe/m .R. 'dcz/azar' 4 Hormel/J v April 2, 1957 F. R. SALAZAR AIR COOLING AND CIRCULATING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 26, 1955' INVENTOR. Fe //x ,Q. Salazar United States Patent Q AIR COOLING AND CIRCULATING SYSTEM Felix R. Salazar, San Antonio, Tex.

Application August 26, 1955, Serial No. 530,750

Claims. (Cl. 62-129) This invention relates to heat exchange means, and more particularly to an improved air cooling and circulating system for buildings.

In conventional air cooling systems expensive compressors which use a special refrigerant in a closed circuit one employed, which refrigerant is compressed from a gas into a liquid and in the operation of expanding and contracting the gas coils, condensers, accumulators, expansion valves, evaporating coils, pumps, and fans to move the air over filters and evaporators, and other fans or air moving means to move the air from the evaporator to the rooms or area to be cooled are used. Such systems are expensive to provide and install and operate.

The primary object of the present invention is to pro vide a simple and effective air cooling and circulating system for buildings, which eliminates the above mentioned expensive components of conventional air cooling systems.

While air is known to be a fair refrigerant, as it is a gas, air has to be subjected to such high pressures to cause it to freeze upon expansion that it has been abandoned as a refrigerant. It is an object of this invention to provide a system of the character indicated above which involves air comprising means which makes it possible to compress, move, and cool air, in such large volume that the air need not freeze upon expansion to effect cooling, and in which the air to be expanded will be discharged directly into areas in a building for cooling such areas. In utilizing the air compressing means of this inven tion, it is not necessary for special construction in a building, since one or more elevators of the building can act as a piston or pistons in an elevator shaft which defines a cylinder in which the piston works.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, forming the specification, and taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a schematic vertical, cross sectional view through a portion of the building showing an application thereto of an air cooling and circulating system in accordance' with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section showingdetails of the air outlet valve structure of the air compressing means; and,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, vertical cross sectional view taken through a portion of a building showing a modified form of the invention applied thereto.

With continued reference to the drawings, and particularly to the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 3, there is illustrated a portion of a building, generally indicated at 10, having successive floors in parallel, superimposed position, and air ducts 12 extending along each of the floors and leading to discharge valves 14 into the 2,787,139 Patented Apr. 2, 1957 ice interiors of the rooms or other areas to be air-cooled. The uppermost one of the ducts 12 is in communication at its inner end remote from the valve 14 with the end of a vertical manifold 15. The manifold 15 is divided by an internal partition 20 into an inner conduit 16 and an outer conduit 18. The partition wall 20 terminates at its upper end at a location spaced downwardly from the upper end of the manifold 15, with the inner end of the uppermost duct 12 communicating with both of the conduits 16 and 18. The inner ends of the lower ducts communicate only with the outer conduit 18.

A compressor, generally indicated at 22, is provided for the purpose of supplying air under pressure into the inner conduit 16. The compressor 22 comprises a vertical housing 24, which may be generally rectangular in cross section, and disposed in upright position in the build ing 19. The top wall 26 of the housing 24 has relatively large openings 28 and 30 with the openings being separated by a support plate 32 extending transversely across the top of the housing.

Within and along the side wall 36 of the housing 24 and spaced therefrom is a wall 34. Extending across the housing 24 from the upper edge of the wall 34 is a cylinder top wall 38 which is spaced below the housing top wall 26. The top wall 38 extends to the side walls of the housing and defines below the top wall 38 an operating cylinder 39.

Within the operating cylinder 39, there is a weighted piston, generally indicated at 40, for vertical movement therein. The piston 40 comprises a bottom plate 42 closing the area within the operating cylinder, and provided on its lower surface with air seal member 44 in the form of a resilient, cup-shaped piece of material of such dimension as to be in sealing contact with the inner walls of the operating cylinder, as shown in Figure l.

A pair of laterally spaced, cylindrical weights 46 and 48 are secured upon the upper surface of the plate. i2 adjacent opposite ends thereof and along a medial axis thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 2. A bar 5t) extends across and is secured to the top of the weights 46, 48. The bar so carries an upstanding eye 52 to which is secured one end of a flexible line or cable 54 which is trained over a pulley 56 dependingly carried by the support plate 32 over a guide pulley 58 npstandingly mounted on the upper surface of the cylinder top wall 38 adjacent the Wall 34. The other end of the flexible line or cable is then led downwardly in the space 6d between the wall 34 and the housing side wall 36 and connected to counterweights 62. The counterweights 62 ride in. the space be tween the walls 34 and 36. The bottom end of the counterweight has secured thereto one end of a flexible line or cable 64 wound about a cable drum 66 mounted on a horizontally disposed cable drum shaft 6% rotatable in opposite directions by a reversible motor 7i) operatively connected to the shaft 63. Thus, by operation of the motor 76*, the piston 4% can be moved longitudinally within the operating cylinder indicated generally at iii.

It will be noted that the eye bolt 52 extends upwardly through the top Wall 38 through a suitably formed opening 39 transversely therethrough.

The piston plate 42 is provided with an opening 72 transversely therethrough and formed about the center portion of the plate and between the weights 46 and 48, as clearly shown in Figure 2. A flap valve 74 is hingedly mounted on the undersurface of the piston plate 42 for movement in an arcuate path into and out of closing relation with the opening 72. A spring 76 is connected between the valve '74 and the piston plate 42 so as to resiliently bias the valve '74 into the open position shown in Figure 1.

Thus, as the piston 40 is moved downwardly in the enemas operating cylinder 70,,the valve 74 will be forced to close against the resilient effort of the spring '76 and compress the air therebelow as the piston descends to the broken line position shown in Figure 1. I

As the piston 49 descends, the valve 7t hingedly mounted on the side wall 37, opposite the side wall 36, below the piston 49 will close an opening ht) transversely through the side wall 37, and at the same time will force the air outlet valve 82, which may be of the type shown in Figure 3, against the effort of a coil spring 8 The valve 82 is hingedly mounted on the bottom wall 39' of the operating cylinder 39 and resiliently urged into closing position with respect to an air outlet opening $6 provided in the bottom wall 39'. The compressed air passing through the opening 86 passes into a conduit 82% which is connected to the lower end of the inner conduit 16 of the manifold 15. The compressed air in the conduit 88 is forced upwardly into the inner conduit 16 through one or more filters 9% which remove impurities and moisture from the air. 16 then passes into the uppermost duct 12 and downwardly in the outer conduit 18 to the other ducts 12.

As shown in Figure 3, the tension on the expanding coil spring 84- may be selectively adjusted by means of an adjusting screw 92 threadingly supported in a laterally extending arm 9 of a bracket 96 secured to the end wall 98 of the conduit 8%. The spring 84 is compressed between 21 plate 1% on the end of the adjusting screw adjacent the valve 32 and the lower surface of the valve so that upon rotation of the adjusting screw 92 the tension of the spring 8 5. can be increased or decreased.

The duct discharge valves 14 are preferably of the same adjustable type as the valve 82.

A continuous copper tube or coil 102. encircles the housing 2d for the greatest portion of its length so that cold water may be run therethrough to absorb the heat given off by the air compressed within the operating cylinder 39. Louvers 104 are carried by the outer surface of the side walls of the housing 24 in shading overlying relation to each of the coils of the coil 1% to define fins assisting in the dissipation of heat from the coil 132.

Similar coils 106 connected with the coil M2 surround the lower portion of the conduit 83 and surround the manifold 15, including the conduits 16 and 18, and the ducts 12. Cold water is circulated in these coils to continuously remove heat given off by the air passing through the conduits and ducts. The cooled air is finally discharged through the discharge valve 14 normally closing the outer ends of the ducts 12, into the related areas within the building 16}.

A trap or sump 1% is provided in communication at its upper end with the lower wall of the conduit 33 for the purpose of catching the water removed from the air passing through the filters 9%. A float operated pump 110 is disposed within the sump 193 and set so as to operate 7-.

at a predetermined high level of water 11.2 trapped in the sump and to discharge this heated water from the sump through a suitable pipe 114 to a desired place of use.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 4, the building it) is provided with an elevator its riding in an elevator shaft 118 for the purpose of transporting goods and people from one floor to another of the building. The floor 12% of the elevator carries on its lower surface an air seal member 122, similar in construction and oper ation to the air seal member 44, which contacts the inner surfaces of the side walls of the elevator shaft 113.

The elevator 115 is moved vertically within the elevator shaft 11% by the usual motor, cable and counterweight arrangement, and defines a piston operating within a cylinder defined by the side walls of the elevator shaft.

The bottom wall 124 closing the lower end of the elevator shaft is provided with an outlet opening 126 normally The cleaned and cooled air in the conduit closed by a valve 82. under the influence of the adjustable tension coil spring 84, in the same manner as the valve 32 closes the opening 86 in the form of the invention shown in Figure l.

The outer side wall 128 of the elevator shaft is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced valves 130 normally closing openings 132 provided in the side wall 128. The valves 13-:- are hingedly mounted on the side wall 128 so as to be closed by the elevator 116 as the elevator descends in the elevator shaft 118. Air compressed bencath the elevator 116 closes the valves 130 beneath the elevator, and the compressed air is discharged through the opening 126 and into the duct 88 and then forced upwardly through the filters 9%) into the ducts 16 and 18 so that the air can be distributed to the various floors of the building it) through the duct system shown in Figure l in the manner hereinbefore described. A sump 108 is also provided in connection with the form of the in vention shown in Figure 4 with the pump 11!) disposed therewithin to pump water collected in the sump therefrom for use at places remote from the sump.

While there is shown and described the preferred em bodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the structure is susceptible to change and modication within the practicability of the invention and therefore should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. in an air cooling and distributing system, a vertical working cylinder having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall, a piston working in said cylinder, means for working said piston vertically in said cylinder, valved air inlet means on the cylinder side wall, valved air outlet means on the cylinder bottom Wall, means for r evacuating air in the cylinder above the piston as the piston rises, a vertical manifold having a closed upper end and a lower end, a partition in said manifold dividing said manifold into an inner conduit and an outer conduit, means closing the lower end of the outer conduit, said partition having an upper end spaced downwardly from the upper end of the manifold and providing sole communication between the inner conduit and the outer conduit at the upper end of the partition, a sump conduit extending between and connected to the air outlet means on the cylinder and the lower end of the inner manifold conduit, ducts having inner ends connected to said outer manifold conduit and outer ends, and discharge valves on the outer ends of the ducts.

2. An air cooling and circulating system according to claim 1 wherein said cylinder, said manifold, and said ducts are surrounded by cooling'ooils.

3. An air cooling andcirculating system according to claim 1 wherein said valved air inlet means comprises an air inlet opening in the cylinder side Wall below the piston, and a plate vallve hinged on said side wall for closing the air inlet opening.

4. An air cooling and circulating system according to cliam 1 wherein said-air inlet means comprises a plurality of vertically spaced air inlet openings in the cylinder side wall above and below" the piston, and individual valves hinged on said side Wall for clo'singthe air inlet openings.

5. An air cooling and circulating system according to claim l. wherein said working cylinder is an elevator sizait and said piston is an elevator working inthe elevator s a t.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 237,312 Noyes Feb. 1, 1881 1,052,450 Berglund Feb. 11, 1913 1,644,073 Moore Oct. 4, 1927 m o v 

